On the strength of his win in the New Zealand Championship earlier in the year, IM Wang Puchen was invited to take part in the Euwe Stimulans international tournament, held in Arnhem, the Netherlands last month. The event ran alongside an exhibition of chess-inspired art and the field included players from around the globe. The 17 year-old rubbed shoulders with such greats as Argentinian GM Oscar Panno (72), Iceland's GM Fridrik Olafsson (72), and former women's world champion GM Nona Gaprindashvili (66) of Georgia.
When he was invited, Wang was still a Fide Master, but his efforts in this year's Oceania Zonal had since earrned the IM title. Despite the loss of incentive Puchen still turned in an IM norm perfomance, finishing third on 6/9 behind winner Zambian IM Amon Simutowe on 7½ and Indian GM Dibyendu Barua on 6½. 25 year old Simutowe's unbeaten victory earned him his final GM norm and he is set to become the first Sub-Saharan African to earn the grandmaster title.
Today's game is the second in Wang's three-game winning streak to finish at Arnhem. Playing Black he tenaciously withstands strong pressure from top-seed Barua before taking his winning chance.
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8. Qe2 Bb4
All standard moves in the Center Counter, where Black aims for a solid if passive position. Not 8 ... Bxc2? 9 d5! with advantage: E.g. 9... cxd5 10 Bb5+ Nc6 11 Nxd5 Qd8 12 Nxf6+ Qxf6 13 Bxc6+ bxc6 14 Qc4 forking c2 and c6 wins. 9. Bb3 Nbd7 10. a3 O-O 11. O-O Bxc3 12. Bxc3 Qc7 13. h3 a5 14. a4 Rfb8
White's two bishops and central space lead him to attack on the kingside, while past experience has shown Black must pursue a vigorous counter-advance on the queenside. 15. Bd2 b5 16. g4 Bg6 17. Nh4 b4 18. Nxg6 hxg6
White has all the bishops and weakened the Black kingside, while Black appears to have secured the use of the d5 square for his knights. 19. Qf3 Qb6 20. Bf4 Rd8 21. Rfd1 Nd5 22. Bg3 Qa6?!
Allowing the Nd5 to be evicted. Instead 22 ... Rac8 prevents 23 c4 because of the queen's attack on b3. 23. c4! bxc3 24. bxc3 N7b6 25. Rac1 Rd7 26. c4 Nb4 27. h4 Rad8 28. Qe4 Nc8
White's impressive centre gives him a free hand on the kingside, so Black hastens to bring a knight back to defend. 29. h5 Ne7 30. Bh4 gxh5 31. gxh5 Qa7!
The pressure on d4 forces an awkward decision on White: either relinquish d5 with 32 c5, or exchange one of his bishops. 32. Bxe7 Rxe7 33. Rc3 f5?!
Perhaps panicking at the prospect of the white rook shifting to the g-file, Black weakens his position. The soundest defence was continuing to hammer d4 with 33 ... c5! E.g. 34 dxc5 Rxd1+ 35 Bxd1 Rd7 36 Bf3 Qxc5 37 Qa8+ Kh7 38 Qe4+ with a draw by perpetual check. 34. Qh4 Ree8 35. Rg3 Qe7 36. Rg5 Kh7!
Just stopping 37 h6. Black has kept his pieces coordinated and is able to defend. Typically his opponent does not sense the loss of the initiative and continues to attack rather than consolidate. 37. Kh1?! Qf6 38. Qf4 e5! 39. dxe5 Rxd1+ 40. Bxd1 Rxe5 41. Rg6 Re4 42. Qc7? ---
Avoiding the exchange of queens White suddenly leaves his own king vulnerable. 42 Qxe4 fxe4 43 Rxf6 gxf6 with a drawish ending was necessary. 42. --- Qd4! 43. Bf3 Rh4+ 44. Kg2 Nd3
White must part with a rook to avoid mate. 0-1
Stimulation for Wang
Problem: Black to play and mate in three.
On the strength of his win in the New Zealand Championship earlier in the year, IM Wang Puchen was invited to take part in the Euwe Stimulans international tournament, held in Arnhem, the Netherlands last month. The event ran alongside an exhibition of chess-inspired art and the field included players from around the globe. The 17 year-old rubbed shoulders with such greats as Argentinian GM Oscar Panno (72), Iceland's GM Fridrik Olafsson (72), and former women's world champion GM Nona Gaprindashvili (66) of Georgia.
When he was invited, Wang was still a Fide Master, but his efforts in this year's Oceania Zonal had since earrned the IM title. Despite the loss of incentive Puchen still turned in an IM norm perfomance, finishing third on 6/9 behind winner Zambian IM Amon Simutowe on 7½ and Indian GM Dibyendu Barua on 6½. 25 year old Simutowe's unbeaten victory earned him his final GM norm and he is set to become the first Sub-Saharan African to earn the grandmaster title.
Today's game is the second in Wang's three-game winning streak to finish at Arnhem. Playing Black he tenaciously withstands strong pressure from top-seed Barua before taking his winning chance.
1. e4 d5
2. exd5 Qxd5
3. Nc3 Qa5
4. d4 Nf6
5. Nf3 c6
6. Bc4 Bf5
7. Bd2 e6
8. Qe2 Bb4
All standard moves in the Center Counter, where Black aims for a solid if passive position. Not 8 ... Bxc2? 9 d5! with advantage: E.g. 9... cxd5 10 Bb5+ Nc6 11 Nxd5 Qd8 12 Nxf6+ Qxf6 13 Bxc6+ bxc6 14 Qc4 forking c2 and c6 wins.
9. Bb3 Nbd7
10. a3 O-O
11. O-O Bxc3
12. Bxc3 Qc7
13. h3 a5
14. a4 Rfb8
White's two bishops and central space lead him to attack on the kingside, while past experience has shown Black must pursue a vigorous counter-advance on the queenside.
15. Bd2 b5
16. g4 Bg6
17. Nh4 b4
18. Nxg6 hxg6
White has all the bishops and weakened the Black kingside, while Black appears to have secured the use of the d5 square for his knights.
19. Qf3 Qb6
20. Bf4 Rd8
21. Rfd1 Nd5
22. Bg3 Qa6?!
Allowing the Nd5 to be evicted. Instead 22 ... Rac8 prevents 23 c4 because of the queen's attack on b3.
23. c4! bxc3
24. bxc3 N7b6
25. Rac1 Rd7
26. c4 Nb4
27. h4 Rad8
28. Qe4 Nc8
White's impressive centre gives him a free hand on the kingside, so Black hastens to bring a knight back to defend.
29. h5 Ne7
30. Bh4 gxh5
31. gxh5 Qa7!
The pressure on d4 forces an awkward decision on White: either relinquish d5 with 32 c5, or exchange one of his bishops.
32. Bxe7 Rxe7
33. Rc3 f5?!
Perhaps panicking at the prospect of the white rook shifting to the g-file, Black weakens his position. The soundest defence was continuing to hammer d4 with 33 ... c5! E.g. 34 dxc5 Rxd1+ 35 Bxd1 Rd7 36 Bf3 Qxc5 37 Qa8+ Kh7 38 Qe4+ with a draw by perpetual check.
34. Qh4 Ree8
35. Rg3 Qe7
36. Rg5 Kh7!
Just stopping 37 h6. Black has kept his pieces coordinated and is able to defend. Typically his opponent does not sense the loss of the initiative and continues to attack rather than consolidate.
37. Kh1?! Qf6
38. Qf4 e5!
39. dxe5 Rxd1+
40. Bxd1 Rxe5
41. Rg6 Re4
42. Qc7? ---
Avoiding the exchange of queens White suddenly leaves his own king vulnerable. 42 Qxe4 fxe4 43 Rxf6 gxf6 with a drawish ending was necessary.
42. --- Qd4!
43. Bf3 Rh4+
44. Kg2 Nd3
White must part with a rook to avoid mate.
0-1
Solution: 1 ... Rf4+! 2 gxf4 Rh4 3 Kg5 Qxf4#.